My push for handmade.

Apples to Apples Crayon Roll by Cottage on the Coast. You can find this on Etsy.

Today is the start of many toy sales around Australia. You know the kind - no deposit layby till Christmas Eve, big discounts on whatever trend in children's brands is happening now. Every year I get caught up in the rush and desperation for a bargain. Every year I layby probably far too many toys for my two children. Most importantly though, every year I think I'm doing The Right Thing - my children will be tickled pink with their new, shiny, plastic, expensive toys when they unwrap them (I imagine the joy on their little faces!), not to mention the excitement over the myriad of accessories that accompany their new favourite thing (that will invariably drop to the bottom of the toy box quicker than New Year's Eve rolls around). And so I leave the department store with a lighter wallet, exhausted from crowd-battling and with a thumping headache brought about by rapid decision-making BUT absolutely sure my children will have a magical Christmas morning, one they'll remember for years to come.

But, do you know what happens every week before Christmas? I have to return to the department store where I spent so much time selecting perfect presents only to have to claim a refund on most of them as soon as I collect them from layby! Why? Because in the 6 months between the July sales and Christmas morning my gorgeous ratbags have changed their minds about what is cool and fun of course!

Not this year.

This little black duck is leaving the department store sales alone and looking for gifts that will entertain fickle children for longer than the shiny, plastic, branded toys. I'm going to do my best to buy at least half of my children's stocking contents from craftspeople. Not only will I be doing my family a favour but I'll also be supporting handmade which is very important to me.

So here is the point of this long entry (the first bit was just a bit of a rant really :) )- If we all look to handmade when we look for gifts we would be supporting so many people! Online you could try heading to madeit or Etsy or visit a market where local arty types are sharing their precious things, lovely toys, beautiful clothes, baby goodies, art, pottery, sculpture, food, produce, flowers, plants, there's far too much out there to list. Think of the great community we'd be building and don't forget to compliment the stall/store/site owner if you like what you see. It's all the encouragement we need.

A Gorgeous Sunday!

A few months ago my Mother-in-law (M-i-l from here on in) told me of some smithing gear needing a new home. Its owner had sadly passed away and now no-one needed the equipment. Would I be interested? Would I ever!! Anyone who knows how expensive tools and supplies can be (aren't all hobbies?!) will appreciate that I was very enthusiastic to supply a loving home and many more years of good use to this equipment. So yesterday, filled with anticipation, M-i-l, my 3 year old daughter and I set off for Kilcoy to collect the equipment and lunch with the lady (the silversmith's daughter) who so very kindly offered it to me.

Now, I must explain a few things about the amazing woman who has passed away. I learnt a little bit about her from her daughter yesterday. Her name was Phyllis and by all accounts was a fabulous clothing designer, potter, painter and silversmith. I was fortunate enough to admire some of her wonderful work as her amazing, huge paintings cover many walls in her daughter's Queenslander, and we ate lunch from a big fired pottery tabletop depicting Neptune and his harpies dragging an unfortunate victim to the bottom of the sea. How amazing! I was surrounded by so much creativity and real art, it was like my head was on a swivel trying to take everything in, and this was only a small slice of Phyllis' life work. Amazing.

Her daughter and our host, Helen is equally talented. She is a weaver and creates the most amazing, luxurious textiles from silk and linen thread on her loom. She also designs sensational garments and displays them in an art gallery in Melbourne. I was lucky enough to see some of her work too - the softest, loveliest fabric I think I've ever touched!

I've come away from our great day in Kilcoy feeling really inspired and lucky to have met these great ladies. I also feel glad that I took my little daughter and showed her the impressive things that creative women can do. She had a ball finding all the hidden pottery in the garden and learning to look closely to find the beauty that exists in detail. And what is also extremely amazing to me is being the recipient of not only some tools of a great artist but also some of her work. Helen has so very, very generously given me pieces of her mother's silver work from the 70's. I've photo-ed some of them for you to see. The scarab ring and necklace were made for Helen by her mother. The scarabs came home with Helen in the late 70's from the London Museum.

So today I'm feeling very grateful, very loved and just itching to get making!